Drunk driving fine is still just Rs 25,000–30,000 — is that even a deterrent?

A rumour went round WhatsApp and social media in early October claiming a new Rs 500,000 fine and 2-year jail term for drunk driving had just kicked in. Police confirmed it was false. The real penalty, under the 2019 Motor Vehicles Amendment Act, is still a Rs 25,000-30,000 fine, up to 3 months in jail, and a licence suspension of up to a year — unless someone is actually killed or injured, in which case it jumps a lot higher. One side says that's barely a deterrent anymore — less than a full tank costs some SUV owners, and it hasn't kept pace with how much worse the roads and the traffic have gotten. The other side says the number on paper was never the real problem — checkpoints are rare outside the festive season, and plenty of people believe a phone call or a few thousand rupees on the spot makes the whole thing disappear before it reaches a court anyway. Have you actually been breathalysed at a checkpoint in Sri Lanka, or does enforcement feel like theatre to you? What would really change driver behaviour here — a bigger fine, more random checkpoints, or something else entirely? මත්පැන් බී රිය පැදවීමේ දඩය තවමත් රු. 25,000ක් විතරයි - ඇත්තටම ඒක ප්‍රමාණවත්ද?